SecDef Mattis: Stop Pretending I’m Resisting Trump

Secretary of Defense and former US Marine Corps General James Mattis has been characterized recently as taking efforts to resist or otherwise slow-roll President Trump and his agenda. In one case, he was caught on camera telling US troops they were a model of unity for the country:

“You’re a great example for our country right now that’s got some problems – you know it and I know it…It’s got problems that we don’t have in the military, and you just hold the line my fine young soldiers, sailors, airmen [and] Marines. Just hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other and showing it.”

The media portrayed that as a rebuke of President Trump. More recently, multiple media outlets and organizations have said Secretary Mattis “froze” President Trump’s planned ban on transgenders, an apparent rebuke of his boss. But that isn’t what happened at all.

President Trump ordered a continuation of the current ban on the enlistment of those who say they are “transgender,” and a deadline of early next year on what to do with serving US troops who are transgender. Secretary Mattis “froze” current policies in the interim as the President’s policy is being implemented, but specifically said the policy will be implemented [emphasis added]:

The department will carry out the president’s policy direction…

Some — including some media outlets — are so intent on coming up with ways to portray President Trump poorly that they twisted Secretary Mattis’ statement to make it seem as though the well-respected SecDef was opposing President Trump.

“I’ve seen this now for months,” Mattis said, referring to reports that he is at odds with the commander in chief…

“There is no contradiction at all there,” he said. “No disagreement with the president.”

He was clearly annoyed by persistent reports of rifts, or at least differences in views, with Trump.

“Right now, if I say six and the president says half a dozen, they’re going to say I disagree with him,” he said.

Those who are ideologically opposed to Trump realize they suffer a blow of credibility when the President’s policies are supported by his Administration — especially by Mattis, widely regarded as one of the most respected people in the Cabinet. Thus, they stretch to portray President Trump as an ideological loner and his policies as unique — though they aren’t.

President Trump’s policy is the same one that existed under President Obama, and every President before him.

Ashley Broadway of the gay-activist AMPA continues to parrot her inaccurate statement that

Any qualified American should be able to serve their country, regardless of their gender identity…

Which is it? “Any qualified American,” or just those of certain sexual proclivities? Why not:

Any qualified American should be able to serve their country, regardless of their criminal history…

If “qualified” includes medical restrictions and legal records — and it does — that makes about as much logical sense. Broadway continued:

Donald Trump’s directive telling the military to single out and discriminate against transgender service members and qualified recruits is unconstitutional…

Again, illogical — and wrong. Transgenders aren’t “singled out” by Trump. They’re treated the same as any other person with a diagnosed medical condition the US military has found incompatible with military service. (In fact, a pro-LGBT article quotes a Navy doctor as saying a diagnosis of gender dysphoria — which is a prerequisite to the US military recognizing a gender “transition” — requires a “functional limitation”. In other words, it isn’t an academic diagnosis.) It is Ashley Broadway and her sexual activists who are “singling out” transgenders to obtain special “rights” not available to others whose medical conditions are not sexual in nature.

Does that mean Broadway and her AMPA are actually the ones demanding the US military act in a manner that is “unconstitutional”?

The media and those with liberal ideologies need not look so hard for those who oppose President Trump. Pretty much all of President Obama’s Department of Defense — former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, and former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James — have come out in support of a lawsuit opposing Trump’s plans. Brad Carson, President Trump’s own DoD Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness (though technically an Obama “holdover”), likewise opposes the transgender ban.

Further, Anthony Kurta — Brad Carson’s boss at the DoD UP&D — is an outspoken LGBT advocate and President Trump’s own nominee to be the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Kurta is on the “panel” that Secretary Mattis has set up to “implement” President Trump’s policy — which has naturally raised eyebrows.

No one agrees with everything President Trump does or says (as was certainly the case with President Obama, as well). But he is the Commander in Chief, and his subordinates are duty bound to obey his lawful orders.

By the way, there are a lot of Americans — and US troops — who agree with their CINC on this topic. No one seems to remember them.